Moon Warrior & Day Hunter
by Shahara Belladonna
Summary: Mirage is the last Moon Warrior and is desperately trying to save her people. She is approached by her greatest enemy, the Day Hunter's, one day and discovers that they are also dying out. As such, both sides need to work together to survive.


Chapter 1

It was still dark as she left her father's house. She had wanted to leave while the house was still sleeping and the nightly guards were surrendering to the strain of being up since midnight. Besides, why would they try to keep people from leaving the house? They were just there to make sure people didn't get _in_. She quickly passed the stables and ran out through the back woods into the forest she was seeking. She spared a thought for how long she would be out but she pushed it from her mind. She would be out however long her mission took her. This was _her_ island, _her _territory, and the others had no right to be here. The ancient treaty was still in effect, as far as she knew, but if they kept coming to Caralin then she would make sure that the treaty was declared void.

Once she got to the edge of the forest she was seeking, she slowed her steps and pulled her dark green hood over her head. She still had reason to protect her identity, even though her black hair would be a dead giveaway. It was beautiful, the girl mused, with blue-black strands, red-black strands and softer shades of black. The majority of it was just midnight black, but the different shades highlighted it, giving it a look that no other person with black hair had. But even so, the hood gave her a sense of security.

She drew in a calming breath and stepped into the forest, immediately sending her senses out to feel for her enemy. She was concentrating so hard, that when she heard the twig break thirty meters to her left, she jumped. Her enemy was getting brave if they were out before the sun had fully risen. But then again, they had nothing to worry about. _She_ was the one being brave by being out here so close to the dawn. She glanced up at the sky and then down at her hands as she felt the coldness gather there. Sure enough, there was ice blue light surrounding both of her hands and she clenched them into a fist. The light swirled around her hands lazily and caressed her arms. A flick of her wrists made the light disappear and she heard the noise again.

She took off running towards the noise and hoped to catch her enemy. Maybe they would be lulled into a false sense of security since it was now fully day, she mused as she glanced up at the sun. She wondered how long she had stared into the blue light, probably a while, judging by the suns position.

She stopped as she got the point where the twig was broken, and she bent down. She waved her hand over it and a light golden colour shone back at her. She sneered, definitely her enemy. Question was, had they seen her? She wished again that she had others with her. She got up again and quickly brushed her dress off as she slowly proceeded to walk the way she knew her foe had gone. She didn't let herself dream of killing them; she knew that would be folly. Instead, she imagined what they would be like in a fight. Since she had only fought ten of them, and only managed to kill nine, she didn't know what the rest fought like. The ten she had fought had been in one regiment, and she had heard that there were at least fifty of them.

She hung her head and briefly allowed herself to think about what her side had lost. She could only go on the paintings she had seen and the texts she had studied. They used to be glorious, at least one hundred regiments with twenty each. Two-thousand strong, but the numbers had slowly dwindled, until the day came when their enemy had finally breached their walls and had attacked. After years upon years of fighting, both sides had lost two-thirds of their people and had agreed to a truce. But her side had mysteriously started to die down, until there was no one left. Save her.

She continued on after she had locked away her emotions and smiled to herself, she was still left, and she wasn't going without one hell of a fight. She sighed again as she listened as hard as she could, but it seemed like her adversaries were gone. She kept walking and stooped over occasionally to look at a footprint or to make sure she was on the right path.

A loud, painful snap alerted the girl that she had triggered something she knew she wasn't going to like. She froze, hoping that the next step would trigger the trap, but pain blossomed through her arm as she looked down at it. A steel manacle, she sneered. Of course they would set a trap. That's what you get for going through the woods during the day, she thought to herself. She impatiently shoved her currently wavy, rich, black hair over her other shoulder so it fell to her waist. She had put half of it back but it seemed some had fallen out.

She leaned closer so she could observe the trap. There was no way she could escape the trap without severely injuring herself, possibly even losing her hand. She sighed and moved closer to the tree roots, wary of more traps, to sit down. She hoped that her father, Lucien, would eventually send someone out to find her. But he might send Cyril out. No, that wouldn't do at all, she thought to herself. Cyril might try to hold his rescue of her to his advantage and _that_ would only prove to hurt her. So she settled in to wait, all the while praying that Cyril wouldn't see her like this.

A faint noise jerked her from her reverie. She glanced through the heavy canopy of the trees and decided that she'd been stuck there for over two hours. She continued to listen, but she couldn't hear any sign that someone was coming closer. She sighed and relaxed back into the tree, giving a tug of the manacle that had trapped her and listened to it clang.

She heard them before she saw them. They weren't trying to be quiet, not at all. She pressed herself against the protruding tree roots to try to hide herself. Her dark green cloak should help keep her slightly out of sight. Unless it was the Day Hunters, coming back to collect their prize from the trap, which was no doubt set by them. If it was them, then she had no hope of escaping. Her powers were weak during the day; the Sun weakened them to the point where they wouldn't work against the Day Hunters.

She saw the leader first. Her instant reaction was that he was stunning. He had dark brown (or was it black?) hair down to his shoulders in heavy layers. His eyes were so dark that she couldn't tell if they were black or brown. His skin was lightly bronzed, evidence that he had a slight tan. His horse was pure black and its eyes were a surprising blue colour. There was a man beside the leader who was laughing at something the leader had said.

The person in charge was also laughing and it lit his eyes up in a way the girl decided she liked the way it looked on him. She also thought he looked familiar, like a boy she'd had a crush on when she lived in another kingdom but had lost touch with as they'd grown older. But she shook the thought out of her mind; Day Hunters were masters at disguising themselves and they could be messing with her mind. It was a tactic they used to lower other's defences. The girl couldn't hurt the man if it was who she thought he was.

She worked her sword silently out of its sheath and tried to saw away at the manacle. She sighed in frustration and glanced back over at the people riding through. She could now see two guards silently making their way through the woods, making sure nothing was hiding in the forest. She started tugging impatiently at the steel trap; she was hoping that she could escape unnoticed.

She heard the sound of horse hoofs slowly die away and then she relaxed and turned around, only to jump backwards so that she smashed into a tree with a sharp noise of shock. One of the guards was standing right in front of her. His eyes were a disconcerting deep blue and his hair was short and black. It was obvious he had seen her and silently fell behind. She reacted by bringing her sword up in front of her.

"What happened here?" He asked. His voice was low and rough. It reminded her of the Day Hunters. She kept her mouth closed as she looked at him.

"What did you find Jernigan?" The leader and the man who had been talking to him earlier both rode up to stay about fifteen feet behind the solider.

"Some woman is trapped here." He replied. He stepped back and the girl looked into the leader's eyes. He got off his horse and started walking over to her. She struggled with the manacle again but to no avail. When he was to close for her liking she raised the sword again, her eyes giving him the warning to stay back more than the sword was. She again got the feeling that she knew him from somewhere.

"I'm not going to hurt you. What is your name, my lady?" He asked as he cautiously took a step closer. His husky voice sent shivers through her body. She didn't reply but took a step backwards over the massive tree roots, narrowing her eyes. She thought it was the same boy she'd known, but it was better safe then sorry.

"I don't think she can speak, or maybe she doesn't speak our language." His friend replied.

"She understands me. She's just frightened Galen." The King said.

"Your majesty, she's dangerous. Please let one of your men deal with it." Galen pleaded. She raised her head slightly and put her sword up again. Her eyes flashed at being called "it." The King stepped forward again and she looked down at his sword.

"I promise I won't hurt you." He said as he stepped closer once again. She jerked backwards and fell over a tree root that suddenly appeared. She dropped her sword and heard a nasty crack in her shoulder. She gasped out in pain as she landed and scrambled back a couple inches so the awful pressure on her shoulder would decrease. The King moved forward quickly now and grabbed her free hand to help her up. As soon as he had removed his hand, hers darted up to rest around his throat, her eyes livid. He immediately held his hands up. "You're shoulder is dislocated, please let me help you." He told her.

She stepped back as she searched for her sword and let her hand fall to her side. She grabbed the side of her dress nervously as she looked back to the King. Her dress was dark satin green with black lace running in a strip from the middle down to the floor. The sleeves were also a satin lace that hung loosely from her elbow. She took a couple more steps back as she tested her arm. Definitely dislocated, she decided.

She looked back at the King to notice he was almost touching her he was standing so close. She stiffened her back as she looked up into his face. He looked into her eyes for a second before he turned his attention to her injured shoulder. He backed her up against the tree to loosen the grip completely on her and she looked at her sword longingly. "Maybe if I tell you my name, my lady, you will tell me yours?" He asked.

When she finally nodded he complied, "I am Caspian," He replied. Her eyes widened as she realized who he was.

"Caspian?" She asked. Her voice melodic, yet disbelieving.

His eyes narrowed as well before he broke into a smile that Mirage remembered well. "Mirage, it looked like you. I am going to have to relocate your shoulder before I can free you. Please do not struggle." He told her. He waited until she nodded and then gripped her arm gently. He moved it slightly back and then pulled up and she felt the pain shoot through her. She gasped in pain again as she tried not to scream. He then took something from his pocket as he held Mirage's shackled hand up. "You're lucky. We make these in the Woodland Realm; I know how to free you." He said as he did something to the manacle she couldn't see and suddenly the terrible pressure against her wrist was gone.

"Still practicing to pick locks? I swear, you should have been a thief, not a prince. Thank you." She told Caspian as she rubbed her bruised wrist. She flashed a grin at him to realize he was frowning at her.

"How did you get trapped?" He asked her. She suddenly felt a flash of unease that she had always associated with Cyril. She shook her head at him as she moved away from him quickly and retrieved her sword, sliding it into the sheath.

"I am going to take my leave now." Mirage said as she started to quickly walk out of the clearing. She heard horse hooves in the background and was eager to get back to the relative safety of the palace she lived in. Maybe she would even go to her secret place on the beach where Cyril couldn't find her.

"Wait, you could get trapped again. Let me escort you back home." Caspian suggested. She was about to reply when a rider broke through the woods, along with seven other riders. They surrounded the King's company and she saw Cyril making his way towards her. Damn, her normal luck was no where to be found today.

"There you are Mirage. We've been looking everywhere for you! You know it's not safe during the day for you." He reprimanded. Mirage bowed her head slightly in submission, unaware that she did so. Caspian _did_ notice, however, and he gave the two of them a sharp look.

"I'm sorry Cyril." She told him.

"Who are these people?" He demanded. Before she could answer, an arrow shot through the woods into the clearing but fell short of hitting Mirage. She spun around as she drew her sword, putting the palm of her hand against the flat of the sword, and one of Cyril's men was aiming into the woods.

"Who did this? She is under my protection!" Cyril announced furiously into the woods. The man let go his arrow and it went past a guard's ear from the Woodland Realm, upsetting him. Mirage turned her gaze to Caspian, and she realized he was staring at her.

"You were trying to hit me!" Caspian's man announced as he cocked an arrow. Mirage felt a slight 'push' of power in the air.

"He was merely trying to take down the one who shot at Mirage!" Cyril replied as he moved is horse closer to Mirage, preoccupied with trying to assure himself she wasn't hurt. The guard and Cyril's men continued to exchange insults as Mirage tried to focus on the source of power she felt. Her body fell away from her as she focused on the source of light within herself. It helped her locate the flash of a Day Hunter running away from them. The guard suddenly released his arrow at Cyril in anger and Mirage jumped in front of him without thinking. The arrow went straight into her chest where her shoulder connected and she yelped in pain, jerking back into Cyril's chest.

"Stand down!" Caspian shouted to his men as he turned on them furiously. Cyril wrapped his strong arms around Mirage as he turned her around to face him. She should have felt comforted by him, instead she felt threatened. She let her head lean into his shoulder anyways as he observed the arrow that was dripping blood.

He leaned his head close to her ear so that his reddish blonde hair was in her face. "I'm going to remove the arrow. It's going to hurt." He said softly. Caspian came to them and looked at Mirage with concern in his dark eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Cyril looked at him and Mirage turned slowly. Her hand was at the arrow in an attempt to stop the blood.

"No thanks to you." Cyril replied.

"I'm fine Caspian." Mirage soothed.

"I did not intend for her to get hurt!" Caspian replied hotly.

"Well..!" Cyril started.

Mirage jumped in as she turned towards him and put her hand on his chest, pushing him backwards. Caspian watched the movement closely. "He freed me from a trap, he is innocent, Cyril." She told him. Cyril looked down at her and captured her hand in his larger one, brining her body closer to his. He ignored her when she tried to back away from him.

"Forgive me Mirage." Cyril told her. "Let me remove this from you." He told her. Mirage flinched slightly but held her ground as Cyril gripped the arrow tightly. He jerked it out and Mirage let out a low hiss of pain through her clenched teeth. She immediately put her hands to the wound as Cyril ripped some of his cape off. He gently moved her hands and wrapped the forest green scrap of cloth around her shoulder and bound it tightly. Mirage let out another low hiss of pain as she clenched her fists together. "Heal it later." Cyril told her. She sent him a quick glare, like she would dare risk using her powers when she knew Day Hunters were around! She turned back towards Caspian so Cyril wouldn't see her expression.

Mirage smiled inside as she remembered Caspian from when she knew him. She had met him in Eldia when she had been travelling with her brother when she was sixteen. She had thought he was gorgeous then and she still thought he was. She flashed Caspian another grin and he immediately smiled back, although his eyes were still running over her with concern. She could tell Caspian wanted to talk, to explain why he'd let them part on such bad terms, but Cyril disrupted that. Mirage shook her head to Caspian and he frowned at her. She shrugged and he sighed, but nodded. He'd gotten that now wasn't the time to talk and he agreed that it would have to be put off until later.

Satisfied, she turned to Cyril as he brought his horse near her. He mounted and then pulled her up behind him. She obligingly put her arms around him to hold on. Cyril loved her as much as he could, but she didn't trust him. He had proven to be violent in the past and she didn't want to be put into a situation where she would have to defend herself from him. She didn't think he would hurt her, but she didn't want to give him the chance to force her to be with him.

"I am in your debt. Thank you for saving her." Cyril said as he edged his horse towards the town three hours away. Mirage looked at Caspian with guarded eyes as the rode out of sight.

Caspian watched her go, thinking that she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had been courageous when the arrow had flown towards her and how she had jumped in front of Cyril as the arrow flew towards him. Caspian still wondered who had set the trap for her and why she had been so afraid of him when she had seen him. He was disappointed in himself for not recognizing her as soon as he saw her, after all, who else had the strange combination of hair colours she did?

He lectured the man who had shot the arrow at Cyril and mounted his horse. He wondered what Cyril meant to Mirage, it was obvious he had to mean something because of the way they acted around each other. Caspian could tell Cyril desired Mirage, but Caspian could tell that Mirage didn't feel the same. She had seemed nervous around him, like he would hurt her. He had to smile to himself when he realized that she hadn't changed a bit from when he had known her. But his smile faded to a frown as he thought about how they'd parted ways. He still had feelings for her, but he knew that he had hurt her beyond forgiveness, and he wasn't expecting her to forgive him. Hell, if she let him explain why he left the way he did, then he'd be surprised. They started riding again so they could reach Caralin before nightfall.

Mirage could tell that Cyril was furious at the whole situation from earlier, but she couldn't seem to care. She had been so close to discovering the Day Hunters trail when she had been caught by the trap. She shook her head again as she adjusted her shoulder. Cyril stopped suddenly and the rest of the men did as well. Cyril dismounted his horse and looked up at Mirage.

"What were you doing? I've been looking all morning for you and you were no where to be found and no one had seen you!" He fumed as he paced. Mirage looked down at him with her bright blue eyes. They had slivers of silver in them, giving them an otherworldly look. The slivers had developed over time and it looked like she had stars dancing in her eyes. It showed her to be a Moon Warrior, an ancient huntress of great power.

"I was doing my job!" She replied in her usual light and soothing voice. Now it was clipped and annoyed.

"Your job is to stay safe! Your father is worried sick about you!" Cyril replied. "You could have been killed"

"But I wasn't. Please, we've been over this enough. All of Caralin knows what I am and what I stand for. Don't let your feelings interfere." Mirage said quietly. Cyril looked up at her for a while and then got on the horse behind her this time. He grabbed the reigns in one hand and the other went around her waist, pressing her flush against him. She squirmed a little, trying to loosen his hold, but he just held her tighter.

Once they were riding again, Cyril leaned close to her ear. "I thought I had lost you. Don't ever do that to me again." He growled.

"I'll try." Mirage evaded. She knew how Cyril felt. And she knew that her father would be ecstatic if she married Cyril. He was a warrior, a well respected man on the island. But Mirage knew that she could never love Cyril enough for his liking. He was a friend to her, someone she had known forever. And from her thoughts before, she didn't know how he would treat her.

When they finally arrived to the beginnings of the town, Mirage visibly started to relax. No Day Hunter had ever penetrated the town limits. When they rode into the courtyard of Mirage's house, Cyril let Mirage slid off his horse and she watched him leave with his men, her eyes dark and guarded, almost haunted. She finally turned away when she heard noise from the steps of the palace and she turned around. She saw her father running towards her. His hair was graying but he was still a good-looking man. She had never known her mother so she couldn't say whether or not her looks came from her mother or not.

"Mirage!" Lucien said as he caught Mirage in a tight hug. "I thought I had lost you when we couldn't find you! I was so worried." He told her.

"I'm sorry, but I was hunting. I lost track of time and then I was captured by a steel trap." Mirage replied as she looked up at the setting sun. She could feel her powers returning to her in full strength, she felt safer with them, more prepared. Lucien looked at her for a couple seconds and then nodded.

"I'm proud of you for staying true to your title." He told her, referring to her title as the last Moon Warrior, and the strongest that had ever lived. "Trinity would have been proud." Lucien continued, looking away as he always did when he spoke of her mother. Trinity had been one of the most powerful Moon Warriors, and the most respected of them. She had been their leader before she died. Mirage looked down at the grey stones under their feet; the stones were shaped together into a circle that had fascinating shapes carved into them. There were flowers and exotic plants surrounding the huge circle. Mirage loved it since the bushes were shaped into a maze, it proved to be excellent for escaping unnoticed, something she was very good at.

Mirage felt a prick of unease shoot through her and she looked up at the sky again. The sun was now almost gone and the moon was becoming brighter. It reminded her of her mother. Mirage had never known her but she had taken up Trinity's place as the Moon Warrior's leader, not that there were any left to lead. Trinity had been killed by Day Hunters soon after Mirage had been born. It was one of the reasons why Mirage hunted them so viciously. She was already terribly outnumbered by them; she didn't need to let the Moon Warriors die off. Her only hope would be to kill off the Day Hunters. _Or kill the Sun Goddess._ A haunting voice in her head told her. She shivered and pulled her cloak closer to her body.

"Go and change Mirage Trinity. We are having a banquet tonight." Lucien called her back to the present. She smiled as he used her middle name, the name she had gotten from her mother. Her mother had died the second she was born, taking her last breath as Mirage took her first. Trinity had wanted to name their daughter Mirage, and her father had kept his promise too, only he had chosen her middle name, to honour her mother's memory.

Lucien called a good bye as he turned and walked off in the opposite direction of the house. Mirage turned and walked up the high stairs, the palace was about fifteen feet off the courtyard floor. She looked over to the sea as she did every night, hoping to see her brother's ship. He had promised to be home before two months was up. It had now been six and she hadn't heard from him. She shook herself as she walked into her house and went to her room. It was the closest to the sea since Mirage loved the sea and because the moon had control over the sea. She glanced out onto the open balcony and watched her dark silk blue curtains swirl in the winds. She missed Kieran. And she wanted to know that he was alive. She had asked the moon many times to provide her with a vision of her brother but the Goddess refused to reply. Mirage changed out of her dress and went to her closet to pick out another.

She grabbed a black one to reflect the dark mood she had fallen into. It hugged her torso and flowed around her legs. It had a silver belt at her waist and the sleeves had silver ribbon twisted around it. The ribbon stopped at her elbow where the sleeves hung loosely to the floor. She fixed her hair so that it hung loosely around her in perfect waves. She put the silver circlet that showed who she was in her hair. The circlet had a moonstone in the middle of it that hung in the middle of her forehead. She personally hated the circlet but she was required to wear it to show her position as the leader of the Moon Warriors. Not that there were any to lead, she again thought bitterly.

She sighed and walked out to her balcony. The sky was clear so she could see the stars, but there was a heavy wind blowing around her. It made her hair fly into her face and her dress to blow to its full size. She looked down at the rocks of the ocean and wished she could be down in the ocean. She always felt closest to the moon near it. It gave her peace, tranquillity, a sense of calmness that she rarely felt anymore.

She turned her thoughts to Caspian, the Woodland Realm King, his looks should be outlawed, she decided. It wasn't right for anyone to look as desirable as he did. She had told him so once, and he had kissed her and said that as long as she desired him then he was happy. She smiled again as she thought of their time together. She had loved him passionately and had been devastated when he had left without as much as a goodbye. Her smiled disappeared as she stared into the sea. He would explain one day, and she knew she shouldn't forgive him or love him. But she knew she would anyways.

A knock at her door made her jump and she told the person to come in without thinking of who it could be. Cyril walked in slowly as he observed her. He was in a dark shirt that had silver woven into it. It was his military uniform and that could only mean that they had guests visiting from another land, most likely Caspian's men. "You're late to dinner." He told her.

Mirage looked at him for a few seconds before she sighed, "I'm sorry, I was in another world." She replied as she walked towards through the door. Cyril shocked her when he grabbed her as she passed him and kissed her passionately, his hands at her waist pulling her flush against him. Before she could attempt to push him away, he let her go and was gone down the corridor. She touched her lips briefly and wondered what that could have been about. Cyril had never done that to her, he had only ever been the perfect gentleman since he had started courting her seven years ago when she had only been sixteen. He had been eighteen. She could feel the darkness and anger in him, but it seemed that he was prepared to hide it for her sake.

She walked down to the banquet room and walked through the stone archway. She almost froze when she saw that the guests were Caspian and his men. It was one thing guessing, it was another to be correct. She kept her face perfectly void of emotion and sat down in the chair to the right of Cyril. Cyril was Kieran's second in command and so he sat to the right of her father while Kieran sat to the left. Mirage, in all fairness, should have been sitting at the head of the table due to being a Moon Warrior but her father had wanted to show himself to be the leader and, more importantly, protect Mirage from the window opposite of where Lucien sat. It would have made Mirage vulnerable to arrows or, even more likely, the powers the Day Hunters had. Mirage was sure that they were stronger than she could ever hope to be, even during the moonlight.

She looked down at the white china plate with its blue outlining as another prick of unease shot through her. She knew now what she had been feeling earlier. _Her powers._ That was the reason she had been so on edge and uneasy earlier. Her powers were leaving her. Cyril touched her hand after a little bit and she noticed it was clenched into a tight fist. "What's wrong Mirage?" He asked her in a low voice that showed intimacy. It sent shivers of coldness down her spine.

Mirage shook her head as she pulled her hand into her lap, out of Cyril's reach. "Nothing, I was just off in my own world again." She smiled and then looked around the table. Caspian, she noticed, was looking straight at her in concern and when he saw that she looked back he smiled warmly at her. She smiled back brightly and then a flash of bright light jerked her attention to the window. It was red and her first thought was of the Day Hunters. She looked briefly around the table and noticed everyone looking towards the window in equal, startled interest, including her father. Mirage got out of her chair gracefully and walked silently to the window. Cyril was behind her in a second so he could guard her if it was an attack by the Day Hunters. She leaned out the window as far as she could and she heard another man get up and walk beside them.

"_What do you see?_" Her father asked in their language. Mirage sent her weakening powers out into the night and an arrow shot back at her with something attached to the shaft. Mirage jerked back and caught it with out thinking. Cyril glanced down at her in surprise and her father crowded close to her so he could read it.

"_It's from the Day Hunters, see? You can feel the power in here._" She told her father, replying in the same language. She caught his hand and put it lightly on the shaft. The electricity shocked him and he jerked his hand back as she laughed, the sound like the most beautiful music anyone had heard. "It won't hurt you." She assured him in the natural language.

"Is it hurting you?" Cyril asked her, concerned and clearly ready to take the arrow away from her.

She shook her head, "No, see? I can control it slightly." She replied and showed him the red sparks dancing around her hands. He touched them lightly and the sparks raced to him. Mirage caught his hand before they could shock him so he could see the sparks dancing around in his hand. He looked at them in amazement and then turned to her with an emotion she dare not name.

"You truly are amazing Mirage." He told her in a low, seductive voice. She looked away out the window and saw another small flash of light.

"Alright, alright, I will read it." She told the Day Hunter who had obviously sent it to her. The note was gold written in red to help confirm her suspicion. She took her hands away from Cyril and made sure the sparks followed her, although she wished she could let them shock him. She went back to her seat, away from the window, and Lucien and Cyril followed. When everyone had sat down again, she opened the note and looked over it. She sighed when she saw the language it was in; of course they would write it in the ancient language when the Hunters and the Warriors had been allies. She hadn't had anyone to teach her the language and had struggled to learn it by herself.

Kieran had helped her learn it, she thought miserably as another wave of pain from Kieran's absence lashed through her. He had been the only mortal who had been permitted to see the ancient texts. She shook her head to clear the thoughts from her mind and she rolled the scroll up and put it in the gold container it had come in. She set it down in between Cyril and herself so it would be safe. She knew Cyril would never look into it. It would shock anyone besides herself if they were brave enough to try and take it.

"What did it say?" Cyril asked as he leaned his head close to hers. Everyone else had resumed their previous conversations so she didn't have to worry about anyone trying to listen in.

"I do not know. I will have to decipher it later." She told him. He nodded and then leaned over to her father to continue the conversation with him. Mirage looked across the table to where Caspian was sitting. He was talking with his second in command, Galen, she thought his name was. Galen suddenly noticed her and smiled as he tilted his head towards her in a small bow. Caspian looked over at her and she averted her eyes, embarrassed he had caught her.

"Your island is beautiful Mirage. I love the houses in the trees, they're stunning." He told her. She smiled back as she thought of the houses within the trees. Some of the houses had been built high up in the trees when the town had first started. About half of them were up there and they were all connected by wooden bridges. The houses were beautiful and sturdy.

"Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it." She replied. "What is the Woodland Realm like?" Mirage asked, she loved travelling and hoped to travel there someday.

"You still haven't been?" He asked. She smiled when she remembered he had promised to give her the grand tour once. But it had been a long time ago.

"No, I wish I have. I hear it's the biggest kingdom there is." She replied.

Caspian smiled, "It is. We don't live in trees, but we have many forests around." He told her. She smiled again and listened to his description of his kingdom. Galen occasionally jumped in with a story he remembered from his childhood. Caspian, she noticed, paid attention to everything she said as if it was the most important thing in the world, he really hadn't changed from when they had been together. After dinner had been long removed from the table everyone was talking around the table in merry moods. Mirage was talking to Cyril about random things when he started to become quieter.

"Cyril what's wrong? You've been quiet all night." She asked in a quiet voice. Cyril looked at her for a couple seconds before he slowly got up and went to one knee. Mirage drew in a silent breath and her hand flew to her throat in shock.

"Mirage Trinity Dragana, will you do me the honour of being my wife?" He asked her as he held out a beautiful platinum ring. Mirage froze as her eyes widened, she hadn't thought he would ask her to marry him and she didn't know what to say. Lucien was beaming behind Cyril.

"I… I don't know what to say." She admitted in a small voice. Before Cyril or anyone could say anything else, a messenger ran in, panting.

"My Lord! Your son is finally back! He's at the dock!" The messenger said. Mirage's face lit up and she stood up. Cyril stood up with her and she realized she hadn't answered him yet. "My Lord, please hurry!" The messenger then said.

Mirage looked over at him and then ran out of the door as she grabbed the gold scroll. She quickly got to the steps and took them two at a time. She picked up the corner of her dress and went to the cliff to look over at the sea. She whistled for her horse and Elendia came running to her. Her coat was pure white and she had dark blue eyes. Mirage jumped onto her, "Make for the port! Hurry!" She encouraged. Elendia neighed and then galloped off. Mirage loved riding, the way her hair flew around her and how she felt she could fly. She followed the stone path and arrived at the dock in about five minutes. She stopped at the edge of the unloading dock and raised herself higher to find her brother.

"Kieran!" She yelled over the noises of many soldiers unloading. She got off her horse and walked through the crowds, trying to find her brother.

She heard a deep voice suddenly that made her smile, "Mirage!" She heard her brother exclaim. She turned around and ran to her brother's arms.

"Kieran! I was so worried about you! Where were you?" She exclaimed as he spun her in a circle. Her dress flowed around her legs as he set her down.

"We got delayed." He said in a dark voice. She looked up at him and noticed that cuts and bruises on him.

"You look terrible." Mirage observed as she caressed his face. She traced the deepest scar and the pain from it resided slightly.

"Thank you," He acknowledged her healing the pain. "We were attacked but we managed to escape." He told her. He motioned for her to walk with him and they went to grab his bags.

"Brenaden," Mirage hissed, surprising Kieran.

"Yes, although I'm surprised you knew so quickly." He told her, proud that his sister was so clever.

Mirage sighed as she looked up at the moon, "Yes well, I've been waiting for them to attack for a while now." She replied as she studied the stars. They whispered of terrible things to come. She caught the word betrayal in the whispered secrets and she shuddered.

"Here are my bags." Kieran announced as he grabbed two bags. Mirage grabbed the lighter one and heard the screams of girl reunited with their lovers or their husbands. She heard some crying as they learned of the loss of their loved ones. Mirage sent a prayer up to the Moon Goddess, thanking her for the safe return of her brother. They put the bags on Elendia and secured them. Mirage grabbed the reins and they started to walk up to the palace. They talked about his trip and Kieran told her all about the lands he had visited, loving when her face lit up in wonder. She filled him in on what had happened, up until when she got caught. She wanted to tell Kieran about the rest when they were alone. There were soldiers everywhere and she saw Cyril helping the men out. He looked preoccupied and worried. When a helper took Elendia away to the barn, Kieran took her hand and led her into the bush maze. "Tell me what you're hiding." He told her.

"Cyril proposed." Mirage said after she hesitated. Kieran looked over at her for a couple seconds, evaluating her expression.

"What did you say?" He prompted.

"Nothing yet. News of your return came and I left." She told him.

"You don't have to marry him." He replied gruffly. He would go after anyone who would attempt to make his sister unhappy, she was the only reason he kept fighting. The thought of her in enemy hands was unbearable. His sister was his life. He had no other reason to live.

"Lucien wants it. He would be very angry if I said no." Mirage told him as she watched him out of the corner of her eye.

"You don't have to marry him," Kieran repeated, "I don't care who wishes for it to happen." Mirage smiled slightly and hugged him quickly.

"I'm dreading telling him no. I swear, I thought he was going to hurt me in the woods earlier." She confessed. She still hadn't told Kieran about how he had kissed her. Mirage wanted to analyze that later when she was in her room or at her beach on the other side of the island.

"Has he ever hurt you?" Kieran asked her, his hands in fists at the thought of anyone hurting Mirage.

"No." Mirage replied as she touched her shoulder, subconsciously. He hadn't yet anyway, she had a feeling he might if she said no. She rubbed her shoulder slightly, letting her magic heal it. The pain from the arrow was starting to come back and she didn't want Kieran to freak out over it. He hated it when she got hurt.

"What happened to your shoulder?" He asked without looking at her. Mirage sometimes thought he could read her mind, he always seemed to know when she was hurt. She thought it might be because they were twins.

"A guard shot me earlier." She shrugged one shoulder.

Kieran stepped in front of her, "One of our guards?" He asked.

"No, one of Caspian's. He was fighting with Cyril and let his arrow go on accident. I jumped in front of Cyril before I could stop myself." She laughed at her misfortune.

"So in effect, Cyril did hurt you." Kieran mused. He paused, then seemed to hear the name Mirage said. "Wait, did you just say Caspian's back?" He asked.

"No he didn't, you just want an excuse to go after him." Mirage teased him lovingly, although she ignored his other question. They started walking again and sat down when they got to the middle of the maze.

"What else is wrong?" He asked her, guessing that Cyril wasn't the only thing on her mind. He seemed to get that she didn't want to talk about Caspian. She also wanted to analyze her feelings for him later when she was in private.

Mirage was silent for a long time. She finally flipped over her left wrist to expose the silver markings on her skin. It was four moons, two forming a circle and then two facing opposite ways, outlined twice, with one point of tangency. A star was in the centre of it. The silver was still shining brightly, but Mirage could detect something was wrong. The other symbols on her wrist weren't shining and she hadn't seen them for about three months. "I think the moon's dying."

CHAPTER 2

"What?" Kieran asked, unbelieving that the moon could die.

"I've been losing my powers, I barely have any left. I can't use the ones I do have left because I can't control them." She told him. There was a single tear in her eye and it fell into her lap. She looked away so Kieran couldn't see the tears in her eyes. Kieran put two fingers under her chin to make her look at him. She wiped the tears away quickly and looked into his eyes. The silver slivers in her eyes were dancing around. Kieran pulled her towards him so he could hug her tightly. She let him hold her as she collected herself.

"What does that mean for you?" He asked when she pulled away. She looked down again.

"It means that I'm dying." She told him. Kieran looked at her for a while as he tried to control his anger. Mirage looked back up at the moon and pushed her long hair over her shoulder.

"What can I do to save you?" Kieran finally asked. Mirage could hear the emotion he was trying to contain. Her brother was the only person she knew who loved her unconditionally and she knew he would gladly lay down his life if it meant that she would live. She would do the same for him.

"I don't know if I can be saved yet." Mirage replied.

Kieran looked away and then back at her, suspicion in his eyes, "Do the Day Hunters have anything to do with this?" He asked.

Mirage shook her head, "I think the Moon has betrayed and left us."

"But I can see the moon from here."

"Not that moon, I mean the Moon's spirit. The Goddess of the Moon. She's betrayed us all. I think that's why I'm the last Warrior of the Moon." Mirage told him. She hesitated before she continued, "And I think the Sun has done the same."

"Why would you think that?" Kieran asked. Mirage held up the gold container.

"This was delivered by an arrow during dinner. I didn't want to translate it in from of everyone." She said as she opened it. She carefully unrolled the scroll and put it in between them. Kieran looked at it as he started to try and decipher it.

_We know that the Moon has left you. We know that you're weaker than you would have us believe. And we know that you're the last of your kind. The last Warrior of the Moon. At one time, we might have rejoiced this, now we fear this. You see, you aren't the only one who has been betrayed. The Sun, we believe, has also betrayed us. There is war coming, between your kingdom and Brenaden. Yes, we know this. We also know why Brenaden is attacking. We're sure you do too. Today, in the woods, we were not trying to hurt you or capture you, that trap wasn't set by us. Something, or someone, has been hunting down our Hunters. We think they're after you too. We wish to meet someplace neutral, someplace that neither you nor we claim. We wish to work together, and put an end to the blood feud of ours. Maybe we'll see that we're not so different after all. Maybe together, we'll be strong enough to defeat our enemy. Meet us on the coast line of your beach three days from now if you agree to meeting. If you do, make sure you bring enough for a three month journey, possibly longer if all goes well. _

_We hope to see you soon,_

_The Day Hunters_

Mirage read the message out loud since she was faster at translating due to the fact that all the ancient text books were in that language.

"What do we do?" Kieran asked.

Mirage glanced at him, "You do nothing. This falls into my duties. I have named you as my heir." She told him as she looked into his eyes.

"You won't die." Kieran swore.

Mirage smiled at him. "I know, you'll save me." She told him.

"Will you go to them?" He asked her.

Mirage tilted her head to the side, the silver in her eyes flashing as she thought. "I don't know. I'll have to think heavily on it." She finally replied. He nodded his head at her and then turned to the bag he had brought with him.

"I brought you some things from my travels." Kieran smiled, attempting to brighten the mood. He pulled stunning ring out of the bag and put in on her finger. It had her favourite aurora borealis gems in it.

"It's beautiful Kieran, thank you." She smiled as she touched it.

"It's from the Woodland Realm. Elves made it especially for you." He told her with a smile as he watched her face light up in delight. He gave her a necklace with a black string next. The pendant was an intricate pattern in silver that opened up in a locket. "The necklace is from Eldia. It was the first Moon Warrior's. It was given to her by the Moon when she bestowed the powers on her."

"How did you get it?" Mirage asked in wonder as she caressed it.

"I found the Hidden Temple of the Moon." He replied as she turned quickly to him.

"You found it? How did you gain access into it?" Mirage asked.

Kieran smiled at her as he looked into the sky. "I guess the Moon saw me as worthy to enter." He told her. She wrinkled her nose as she thought back to her suspicions of the Moon betraying the world. She frowned up at the Moon and then looked back at Kieran. "Cheer up; I also have another present for you." Kieran said as he tried to make her feel better.

Mirage glanced at him as Kieran pulled out a wrapped package. He handed it carefully to Mirage as he warned her to be careful as well. She unwrapped it slowly and saw a beautiful sword. It was slightly curved and the handle was also curved slightly to fit into her hand. The handle was wooden and had golden designs on it. There was a slight curved point at the end of the handle. There was another tip a couple of inches away. The blade had blue inscriptions in it and Mirage could see her name written in their native language. She looked up at Kieran with her heart in her eyes. "It's beautiful." She told him, her voice thick.

"I had it made for you." Kieran told her. Mirage ran her hand over the flat of the blade and traced the designs in the blade.

"Thank you Kieran, it's beautiful." Mirage told him and she reached over to hug him. He hugged her back and they heard their father's voice in the distance calling for Kieran.

"Lucien's going to want to hear about what Brenaden's been doing. We're getting closer to war." Kieran told her as he stood up. "Oh, and I also had a couple of dresses dropped off in your room for Lucien."

Mirage stood up too, "Thanks, I'm glad you're home big brother." She leaned over and hugged him.

"I'm glad to be home. I'll stop by later." Kieran said as he hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. Mirage watched him walk away and sat back down as she looked at her new sword. She looked back up at the Moon and watched it for a while. She used to think it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen; now it just looked haunted, like it was keeping too many secrets from her. Secrets that Mirage should know, secrets that she needed to know to live.

Her head snapped up when she heard someone calling her name. She recognized Cyril's voice and she quickly stood up and walked to the stables where Elendia was. She knew as soon as se walked in the stables that there was a serious storm brewing. Elendia was the only horse standing still and as soon as Mirage walked in, Elendia locked eyes with her. Mirage put her new sword back into the wrapping and tied it to her waist. She opened Elendia's stable door and led her out to the maze again. "I don't know what to do, Elendia, about anything. If the Moon Goddess has really betrayed us, then I don't know what would become of me." She confided. Mirage talked to Elendia about anything. Elendia had long ago learned how to effectively communicate back to Mirage. Now Elendia dipped her head to shrug.

Mirage put her hand on Elendia's neck, "If she has betrayed us, then there's no one strong enough to defeat her except me. And that would most likely, well it would, kill me. But if I don't go up against her, then I have no chance of living."

Elendia looked at Mirage. "Okay so what to do about Cyril is a big problem too. But all I have to do is tell him no. Lucien's going to be difficult though, he thinks that Cyril is the perfect man for me. You should have seen his face when Cyril proposed." Mirage shook her head, sending her black hair everywhere.

"But I'm scared of him Elendia. I'm scared he's going to lose his patience with me one day and he's going to hurt me." She confessed. Mirage looked up at the sky to see the clouds covering the moon and lightening illuminating the sky. She felt that it would rain tonight but not until much later. Maybe not until she would be going to bed. Elendia apparently didn't feel the same way since she started tossing her head and looking at the sky nervously.

"Alright, alright, we'll head back." Mirage promised as they turned around. They walked together in silence until they got to the stables. Mirage cleaned Elendia's stable up and put fresh hay down. She hesitated before she used her powers but decided that she could use the power of the stars to give a soothing blue light in the stable. Elendia nuzzled her as she left and Mirage hugged the horse tightly.

She then left to go back to the Main House. She walked along in silence and thought to herself. Would she be able to kill the Moon Goddess should she need to? Could she live through a fight with her Goddess? And the other question that was giving her the most trouble, did the Sun Goddess betray the Day Hunters? And if she did, would the Day Hunters help her to destroy the rogue Goddesses? If the Day Hunters would agree to help, then Mirage might be able to survive this coming war against her Goddess. Maybe the Hunters would be able to help heal her. Mirage had some powers in healing, but one of the big Hunters power was the ability to heal almost anything. Mirage had read of a time when Hunters and Warriors worked together, but that was long ago.

"Mirage!" The voice jerked her out of her thoughts and back to Earth with a gasp. She saw Caspian walking towards her with his advisor, Galen.

"My lord, are you enjoying Caralin?" Mirage asked as she smiled. Caspian walked closer and then stopped, smiling at her.

"None of this lord stuff, please, call me Caspian. Caralin is beautiful. I can't believe I haven't been here before." He replied. Mirage looked at him curiously.

"You cannot possibly be that much older than I." Mirage said.

"Like you don't know how old I am." He laughed. "I'm twenty-three, but I've travelled almost everywhere. How old are you?" Caspian asked her.

"Twenty, as you very well know." Mirage replied with a grin. Caspian smiled at her as his gaze dropped to her injured shoulder.

"How's your shoulder?" He asked.

"It hurts occasionally but I can control the pain. Thank you for asking." Mirage replied as she touched her shoulder to block the pain. Caspian looked over at Galen and they exchanged a long look.

"Galen, you should go and check in with our men and make sure that they're settling in." Caspian told him.

Galen bowed low to Caspian as he turned. "Yes my lord. Stay safe." He called over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Did you find out what was in the note you had received during dinner?" Caspian asked as they resumed walking.

"Yes actually, I did." Mirage replied, slightly on alert to make sure he wasn't, in fact, a Day Hunter. She glanced down at his wrist, and then up to his face again. She knew that the Hunters had golden marks on their faces and wrists that only showed up when the light hit them. Or when a Hunter was in proximity to a Warrior. She relaxed when she was assured Caspian wasn't one.

"What did it say, if you don't mind me asking? It must have been important for someone to send it by arrow." Caspian asked, watching her expression closely. He thought something was different about her, something mysterious. It hadn't escaped his attention that she hadn't replied to Cyril's proposal. He shook his head quickly, it wouldn't do to pay any more attention to Mirage then he had to.

"I don't mind at all. It's most likely going to be the talk of the town for a while." She made a face. "But first, what do you know of Warriors of the Moon and Hunters of the Day?" She asked him.

"I've heard a great deal about them, but I've never actually heard who they are. I know you're one of them." He replied, walking forwards slightly. Mirage took the hint and they strolled slowly through the maze.

"I'm a Warrior of the Moon." She told him. "The last actually. We're an ancient civilization; I guess you could call it, that used to serve the Goddess of the Moon. But she disappeared and we lost connection. We think she died and was replaced by another that didn't care for humans. The Hunters of the Day are my enemy, for now. They too, had a similar history. But they have fared better; they have about five hundred left." She paused. Caspian looked over at her from the corner of his eye and saw her doing the same to him. He grinned at her and she blushed before she looked forward. He smiled to himself and looked down at his boots. Before he looked towards the path she was leading them around. She did it without thinking, telling him that she came through here often.

"What powers do both sides have?" He asked finally. She glanced at him before she held one hand out in front of her. An ice blue light appeared above her hand and she smiled into it.

"The Warriors have control over everything that involves coldness and ice. We control the darkness, storms, among others. I haven't been able to use the others in forever." She frowned at the light briefly. "The Hunters are the opposite. They control anything having to do with heat and fire, as well as light, and being the main healers." She told him. He noticed her hand go to her shoulder again and she frowned.

"Don't you have some healing powers?" He asked her, motioning to her shoulder.

She grimaced. "Some, not a lot. Lately I can only take the pain away for a little while without draining my energy."

"You used to be able to heal?" He asked, catching on the wistfulness her tone had taken on.

She looked up at him, and he was immediately drawn to her strange eyes. He'd never seen a colour like she had. They were a gorgeous bright blue with interesting flakes of silver in them. He felt like he could drown in her eyes. "Yes, but as I said, lately I can only take the pain away." She replied with a small sigh.

"I'm sorry. It must be hard to lose them." Caspian replied, not fully knowing how to reply. Mirage looked up at him and gave him a brilliant smile. He smiled back and looked up when he heard Mirage's name being called. Mirage jerked her head up and paled slightly.

"It is." She replied, seemingly preoccupied. "Let's turn around and go the other way, shall we?" She suggested quickly, already turning. Caspian agreed and followed her, watching as she titled her head to the side so she could listen for whoever was calling her. He walked beside her in silence, letting her listen for the man. He felt a slight chill pass over him, and he knew that Mirage was using her powers. Caspian knew it had to be Cyril. He had watched Mirage throughout the whole dinner, and he paid extra attention to the way she interacted with Cyril. Every time he had gone to touch Mirage, she had moved away. She never looked happy to be around him and Caspian wondered why Cyril kept trying if it was obvious she didn't like him, unless she was like that with everyone, he frowned.

"Are you okay, my lord?" Mirage frowned up at him. Caspian came out of his musings to frown down at her.

"I thought I had told you not to call me my lord, my lady." He told her. It was her turn to frown at him.

"None of this my lady stuff." She said as she waved her hand dismissively through the air. He smiled at the annoyance in her voice.

"Only if you promise not to call me my lord." He replied. She smiled up at him.

"Of course." She laughed. It was the first time he had heard her laugh again, and it sent his muscles tightening. He wanted to hear her laugh more. They rounded a corner again and they were suddenly facing Cyril. Mirage jerked back, almost placing her body behind his as she looked at Cyril.

"My lord, Mirage." Cyril said as he inclined his head.

"It was a pleasure, my lord, but I'm afraid my father and Kieran will have been looking for me. I really mustn't keep them waiting any longer." She said as she inclined her head in a bow. She turned around before Caspian could grab her arm and turned the corner quickly, leaving him alone with Cyril.

"My lord, please excuse me, I was actually coming to find Mirage for her family." He said as he walked around Caspian and went into the maze. Caspian turned and watched him go, hoping that Mirage would get to someone else quickly.

Mirage turned a corner quickly, not stopping to make sure she was going the right way. All she knew was that she had to get away from Cyril quickly. She didn't want to have to anger him by telling him no, her not coming to find him said that much. She suddenly stopped at a dead end and turned around quickly, holding her dress slightly up so she didn't trip over it. She ran into another dead end and she realized that she didn't know where she was. She held her hand up and called on the blue light quickly. "Show me the way." She said as she blew air through it, scattering it into the wind and illuminating the path she was supposed to take.

She followed it and then stopped when she heard footsteps coming towards her. She turned around and jumped back with a scream when she saw Cyril behind her. "I'm sorry, you scared me." She said quickly as she took a step back. "I was just going to go see my father." She looked down at the floor. She saw Cyril's boots come closer to her.

"Your father is in bed at this time, as you very well know." Cyril replied, and Mirage forced herself to look up at him. His eyes were hard and angry. Oh yes, she thought to herself, he knew that she didn't want to marry him.

"I'm sorry Cyril, but I just can't." Mirage started, making her voice as soft and persuasive as she could. He cut her off by pressing his body against hers, making her back up into the bush behind her.

"Don't apologize to me." He snarled. "I asked you to marry me, and you left me in the room as you left to go to your brother." He grabbed her arms and pulled her flush against him. Mirage whimpered and tried to back up.

"He's been gone for six months. Everyone knows how close he and I are. They wouldn't think anything of it." She tried to cajole him. "Please, you're hurting me, let me go."

His eyes darkened and he suddenly pressed his lips hard against hers. She used her powers to shock him and he jerked back with a gasp. Mirage turned and ran the way he came, knowing that was where safety was. She wished she still had her sword with her, then she could defend herself. She wouldn't use her powers, because then she'd become weak and he'd catch her faster. She tripped over a loose tile and caught herself with her palms, scraping them. She scrambled up and screamed when someone's arms caught around her and covered her mouth.

"Shh, shh, it's alright. It's me." Caspian whispered in her ear. He let her go and she turned around to look at him, her heart in her throat she was so scared. She drew in a shaky breath as tears started to fall out of her eyes. Caspian grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the maze with him and into the shadows by the palace. "I'm guessing you told Cyril no." Caspian whispered in her ear, his amusement evident.

Mirage glared back at him. "You wouldn't find it so amusing if Cyril was after you to kill." She snapped back in a whisper. Caspian's smile disappeared and Mirage went to take a step back at the murderous expression on his face. Her hand went to her throat.

"I'm not going to hurt you Mirage. I swore I would never hurt you." Caspian told her as he pulled her back to him. Her body remained resisting until he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. Against her will, she found herself relaxing into his body.

She turned back to look at him. "But you did. I gave you everything I was and you just threw it away. You left me, without a word or explanation. You didn't even have the strength to tell me that you were leaving!" She told him. He pulled her closer to him and moved them fully in the shadows. She glanced behind her and saw Cyril walking out of the labyrinth of bushes. "He's coming." She whispered as she tried to move out of Caspian's arms. Caspian merely turned and put her against the wall, with his body pressed against hers. Mirage gave in and put her head on his shoulder, her silky fall of hair falling around her.

Caspian tightened his arms around her and felt her arms go around his waist as she sighed. "I'm sorry honey. I know that doesn't even begin to cover what I did, and I promise, we will talk about this. I swear, I had to leave." He told her.

Her glittering silver-blue eyes stared up at him. "You will explain. I deserve at least that." She replied. There was a sudden cursing noise and Mirage jerked her head to look towards Cyril, who had appeared again. Caspian turned, taking her with him, and watched as Cyril looked around to find Mirage. Cyril's gaze suddenly turned to where they were hiding and his eyes lit up in triumph. Mirage squeaked as she took Caspian's hand and started running towards the side.

"I will find you Mirage!" Cyril bellowed. Mirage started running faster, pulling Caspian along with her.

"Where are we going?" Caspian whispered, one hand on his sword in case Cyril found them.

"There's a hidden passage in the castle that only my family knows about. Cyril will never find us there." She replied as she suddenly turned right. Caspian followed her into the dark tunnel until she suddenly came to a stop. Caspian reluctantly let her hand go when she tugged at it to examine the door. She put both her palms flat on the wall and started muttering under her breath.

"Not to rush you, Mirage, but I hear Cyril coming close." Caspian told her as he turned to face the tunnel and drew his sword.

"This isn't exactly easy. The spell has to be said in just the right way or it won't open!" Mirage hissed back. She suddenly shouted in triumph as she slammed her palm onto the wall and Caspian turned to watch as it opened. Mirage grabbed his hand again and jerked him into the door. She then turned and closed the door carefully, saying a short chant under her breath. "We're safe in here. Cyril will never find this place." She said as she waved her hand and a blue light burst into life.

"Where exactly are we?" Caspian asked as he examined the walls. They were a plain grey stone that wasn't sanded down to a smooth wall and it was only about a half foot taller than his 6'3. It was a great deal taller than Mirage, Caspian grinned as he looked down at Mirage, who stood almost a foot under him.

"We're under the kitchen, I think." She replied as she frowned up at the ceiling. "Show me the way. Light the night. Take what's dark, and give Moon's caress." She whispered as she opened her palm. Caspian watched in amazement as the light spread to the walls to illuminate the way. "Come on, we can go out further and then we'll get to the forest. We can get to my room from there." She said as she beckoned him forward. Caspian reached forward and grabbed her hand, tangling his fingers with hers. She frowned up at him but didn't try to remove her hand.

"Then we'll talk." Caspian decreed.

Mirage sighed and then looked up at him. "Yes, then we'll talk."

Chapter 3

Mirage pulled Caspian along with her as she led them through the tunnels. She was glad that he couldn't hear her heart as it raced from him just holding her hand. How she was so tuned to him! It drove her mad with her feelings for him. She wanted to throw her arms around him and beg him to kiss her. She tightened her grip on his hand as she moved forward with sure steps. Already the smell of the sea was discernable and she picked up her speed unconsciously, already uncomfortable with the tight space of the tunnel. She was extremely claustrophobic due to being kidnapped when she was younger. Her captors had held her in an extremely small cage that she couldn't move in.

That was actually what had made her father send her with her brother to Eldia, where she had met Caspian, she mused as she glanced up at him. She instantly realized that it was a mistake. His dark eyes were watching her and her stomach clenched. "Caspian, I..." She started. She didn't get to finish because Caspian suddenly backed her up against a wall and put his lips to hers. After getting over her initial surprise, she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Caspian groaned low in his throat as he pushed her further into the wall and deepened the kiss, his tongue duelling with hers.

Mirage gasped in pain when his hand moved over her shoulder and Caspian broke away with a curse. Mirage put her hand to her shoulder and sent a small stream of power to the wound to take the pain away again. "I'm so sorry Mirage. Are you alright?" Caspian asked as he moved her hand away so he could examine her shoulder. Her hand caught his as he moved the top of her gown down to bare her shoulder.

"Caspian, I'm fine. Let's just get going." Mirage tried not to let her voice shake. Of course, she failed. Caspian nodded and allowed Mirage to pull away so she could continue leading them. Once they got to the end of the tunnel, Mirage stopped and put her palms flat on the door again. She muttered the spell her mother had taught her and then she slapped her palm on the middle of the stone, sending a burst of power into the wall which caused it to open. She pulled Caspian through it when she was caught short.

"Stay back." She warned as she backed up and put her palms up, calling blue fire to them as she faced the Day Hunters. They were beautiful, with blonde or red hair and amber eyes. They all stood at about 5'5 and where all wearing the same outfit, just in different colours. It was a relatively simple dress with the actual gown a red or gold colour. The inside of the sleeves were the opposite of the dress colour, so if the gown was red, the inside was gold. There was a simple belt tied around their waists in the same colour the inside of the dress was and the backs were laced in a corset style. All of them had a weapon on their belt.

"We're not here to hurt you." The one in the front told her.

"How do I know that? As far as I know, you could have set the trap for me earlier." Mirage replied.

The leader sighed. "We did not set that for you. We're only on your island because we've come to seek your help. A few of our regiments have disappeared, just vanished. We found evidence of a fight, but there were no trails or anything. We're being hunted, and we believe that you are too." She told Mirage.

"How did you know where I was?" Mirage asked as she tilted her head to the side.

The one in back and to the right of the leader replied. "We heard legends of the last Moon Warrior. Prophecies written about her. It said that her mother would breathe her last as her daughter the first. We knew of your mother, Trinity, and where she lived. We figured you were her daughter and set sail when the Oracle told us it was time. Your mother also helped when she gave you her name." She replied.

"Then why would you seek my help? I'm the last of my kind. I watched as my people died, while I was unable to do anything. That doesn't exactly show great leadership on my part." Mirage retorted as she stepped forward and extinguished her flames. Caspian took in her face and saw the anguish there.

The leader spoke again. "You had no choice. No other option. You couldn't have saved them, no matter what you tried to do. It was fated to be this way." She replied.

"No one should be fated to be alone. No one should be fated to watch their people die as they stood, helpless to do anything but watch as they begged for my help." Mirage spat.

"They died of a plague, the same one our people are now dying from!" The last member of the group stepped forward and hissed.

"What can I do to help with that? I didn't see you offering any help while my people died!" Mirage snapped.

The leader hung her head briefly. "We were unable to. We were fighting a war against the Regime. Their leader wanted us dead because he believed us to be demons." She replied. Mirage sent a small tendril of power out to feel that the leader was telling the truth.

"We were told to tell you we have the Book of Prophecies in our keeping, and that we would like to share it with you, if you would allow us." The leader then said as she opened a large satchel and produced a very ancient tome. She passed the tome to Mirage, who cradled it to her chest.

"Why would you give this to me?" Mirage asked.

The girl to the leader's right suddenly lifted her head and smiled, showing gold eyes with red flecks in them. "Because I'm the Oracle, and I know you're supposed to have it." She said.

Mirage finally nodded her head. "I'm Mirage." She said, as a peace offering. The Oracle smiled even wider, while the other two gave a slight smile.

"I'm Rachelle," The Oracle stated before pointing towards the leader, "and this is Rikkandra, and Rashid." She then pointed to the last girl.

"Rikki for short." The leader stepped up.

"Please, come to my room. We'll have to climb, as I'm currently avoiding someone." Mirage said as she took a step back towards Caspian.

He stepped forward and put his arm around her. "And I'm King Caspian, Mirage's fiancé." Mirage gasped and glared back at him. He just tightened his grip on her and she sighed. Rikki gave a knowing smile as they followed Mirage to the edge of a cliff.

"Forgive me if I'm just blind and can't see it, but where is the way to your room?" Rashid asked. Mirage smiled over her shoulder and carefully handed the tome to Caspian before turning to the sea and raising her arms above her head gracefully, seductively. Caspian wanted to call her the temptress she was.

He watched as she started to chant something in a melodic voice and watched as the winds swirled around her, seeming to come from her. There was a sudden trembling of the ground as a huge rock formation rose from Mirage's feet. "It's there." Mirage smiled again.

Caspian watched Mirage as she listened to the Day Hunters as they sat at her table in the room. She occasionally asked a question but remained silent for the most part, looking towards him every once in a while as if to assure herself that he was still there.

"You're the sign we've all been waiting for. Your mother was told long ago that it was her destiny to give birth to a daughter who would breathe her first as Trinity breathed her last. Trinity knew that you were going to be the saviour of us all." Rachelle stated. Caspian got up and walked closer to Mirage, putting his hands on her shoulders to comfort her. She shot him a grateful smile.

"What am I supposed to do that will save everything? I barely have my powers left and the Moon has forsaken me." Mirage posed as she watched the Day Hunters closely. Caspian noticed her hands were in a fist and he gently pried them open to kiss her palm. Mirage jerked her hand back as if he burned her.

"You're losing your Warrior powers to become something more. Something the world hasn't seen before. A combination of Warrior and Hunter, but stronger than any of them will ever be." Rashid said as she leaned forward. She seemed to have forgotten her initial distrust of Mirage, Caspian noticed.

"Then wouldn't I just get the Hunter powers instead of losing my own?" Mirage asked as she put her hand on top of Caspian's where it rested on her shoulder. He squeezed it lightly to show that he supported her.

"No, you're going through a transformation. You're changing, becoming something more. You're becoming what the Moon and the Sun's mother had originally intended for us to be. She never meant for the Moon and Sun to be separate." Rachelle stated.

Mirage looked at her sharply. "You meant that the Moon and the Sun were sisters?" She asked.

Rachelle held Mirage's gaze before looking towards Caspian for a brief second. "They were bourn sisters, but they were both corrupted from birth. The Mother had intended for them to be the same person, but something went wrong. The Father's power and influence was too strong in the girl, separating her into three beings. One was wholly the Mother, one was wholly the Father, and the third was a perfect balance of the Mother and Father. The third child was instantly killed, her soul preserved so she could be reborn when the time was right. The other two were named the Moon and the Sun. The Moon was the one who gained the Father's powers, and the Sun was the Mother." Rachelle explained. Caspian had the feeling that Mirage had known the legend, although he had no idea of it, until she sat straight up and her gaze locked on Rachelle's.

"There was a third sister? A triplet?" Mirage asked in a haunted voice.

Caspian leaned down. "Who are the mother and father?" He asked.

She turned around to look at him. "The Mother is the Mother Goddess of the world. Mother Nature, in a way, the Father is her opposite, he is death. The opposite of everything the Mother is. Where she gives life, takes pain away, brings joy and laughter, the Father takes life, gives pain, and brings misery and anger to everyone." She explained.

"There was a third sister. Her name was Chaos. She is what the world would become should she never be given life. Now, the Father wasn't a cruel man, he understood that there needed to be a balance between the Light, and the Dark. He loved Chaos; he was the keeper of her body while the Mother was the keeper of her soul. Both the Mother and the Father knew that Chaos was going to be needed, and they were right." Rachelle went on.

"Both the Moon and the Sun went rogue. They never knew of the third sister, did they?" Mirage asked. Rachelle confirmed both with a nod of her head. "But the two Goddesses went rogue a while ago, where is Chaos then?" Mirage went on to ask.

Three sets of eyes looked at her. "You are Chaos." Rikki said. Caspian barely caught Mirage as she fell. He lifted her from the floor and walked into the next room, where her bedroom was. He laid her gently on the silver sheets on her bed and brushed her hair back from her face. She looked so beautiful, her face peaceful.

"What's wrong with her?" Rikki demanded as the three Day Hunters walked in.

"She fainted. I think it's been too much for her today." Caspian replied as he checked her pulse. There was a sudden pounding on her door and Mirage moaned on the bed.

"Mirage!" Cyril's voice demanded as he banged the door again.

"Rashid, get rid of him." Rikki ordered as she took up a position near Mirage with Rachelle on the other side. Caspian recognized that they were protecting her. Rashid nodded as she hurried out into the main area and opened the door.

"You're not welcome here." Rashid told Cyril in a cold voice.

"The hell I'm not." Cyril said. There was a sudden crash and Caspian heard Cyril shout out in pain. Rashid came back in a second later with a smile on her face.

"That took care of him." She sounded pleased with herself.

Mirage jerked in her bed and the doors were flung open by the wind, her curtains billowing around. Rain was pounding outside and Caspian saw the three Hunters exchange a loaded look. "She's stronger than she thinks she is. She's so powerful." Rashid stated with a look of awe on her face.

"Chaos was the most powerful of them all." Rachelle told them as she looked down at Mirage.

Mirage woke up to the feeling of someone moving in her bed. She glanced to her side and saw that Caspian was beside her with his arm around her waist. Mirage then glanced to the direction of her balcony where she could see the blue curtains swirling with the wind and rain. She put her head back down on her pillow when she realized she was still in her dress from the previous day. She attempted to slide out of bed but was prevented by Caspian's arm tightening around her.

"Where are you going?" He asked her sleepily as he cracked one eye.

"I'm going to shower and change. Is that allowed Master?" She asked as she rolled her eyes. Caspian smiled a little as he released her and closed his eye again.

"I suppose it is." He replied.

She caught herself grinning at him, but the smile faded as she watched him in her bed. He looked so right there, like he belonged. She didn't want to lose her heart to him again. But then, it had always been his. She'd never stopped loving him. "We're going to talk when I get back." She whispered as she left to her bathroom. She used her powers to allow the rain to warm and stream down from the corner of the room so she could bath. She quickly did so and wrapped a large towel around her as she dodged into her closet. She emerged with a gorgeous blue dress on. The body of the dress was dark blue velvet and had a silver trim scoop neck. Attached to that was another section of dark blue velvet with a larger silver lace trim. The sleeves were a transparent silk with the top of the arm a dark blue and then there was a silver cuff of lace. Below that a light lilac-blue colour draped to the floor in a flow of fabric. Mirage loved the dress.

She glanced towards the bed and saw that Caspian was waiting for her on the balcony, already dressed and looking so sexy that Mirage bit her lip as she went out and joined him. "I want to know why you left me." She began. Caspian turned towards her and she found herself staring into his dark eyes.

"I had to. Someone came to me the night before I left and told me that they had assassins ready to kill you unless I left immediately." He replied.

She cut him off with a slash of her hand. "That's a weak excuse and you know it. Why would someone try to separate us?" She seethed, the silver stars in her eyes flashing.

Another voice interrupted them. "Because he's destined to be your consort. He'll keep you alive when the others would kill you. They didn't want that so they separated the two of you." Rikki said as she stepped into the room.

"Why wouldn't they just kill me after he left?" Mirage asked Rikki.

Rikki shrugged. "Because then the world would become Chaos. Right now it's barely held in balance by the Mother and the Father's will. The Moon and the Sun have done all they could to destroy this world. The Mother and the Father have protected you so that no being can kill you to act of what the Moon and the Sun desire. Caspian is your protection. He'll protect you when everyone else would fail." She replied.

Mirage looked towards Caspian. "Did you know any of this?" She asked. Caspian reached his hand out, and after a brief hesitation Mirage took it.

He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "I swear I didn't. I left knowing that someday I would come back to make you mine forever." He told her as he tightened his grip and kissed her hair. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"How could people be so cruel?" She asked him. She watched as his eyes darkened.

"I don't know, honey. But I promise you, nothing will ever separate me from you again." He swore. Mirage gazed into his eyes for a few minutes as she gauged the truth in his words. She finally threw her arms around him and hugged him to her tightly. His response was to tighten his grip on her, enfolding her in the safety of his arms.

"Never leave me again. Don't make me live without you." She whispered against his chest.

"I promise Mirage. I will never leave you." Caspian whispered back. Mirage nodded against his chest, unable to talk around the sudden lump in her throat.

"We need to talk. There's been a warning sent from our falcon. Apparently there are some of the Rogues coming to find us. We need to get away from Caralin before they attack." Rikki stated.

"Where should we go?" Caspian asked.

Mirage thought about it for a second when a sudden thought came to her. She grinned up at Caspian and then turned to Rikki. "We'll go to the Temple of the Moon. My brother knows where it is and he can get us in. I can guarantee that it's safe from everyone." Mirage replied. Rikki hesitated.

"How can you be sure?" She finally asked.

Mirage smiled. "Day Hunters in a Moon Temple? No one would think to look there, and if they do, put the Hunter's safeguards up, they'll come expecting a Warrior's safeguard, not yours." Mirage replied serenely. Rikki's face lit up as she rushed from the room. Mirage felt Caspian's arms go around her waist and she allowed herself to be pulled towards him. She leaned against his chest and put her hands over his.

"I love you Mirage. I always have and I always will." Caspian told her.

Mirage looked up at him. "I never stopped loving you. I couldn't." She smiled. Caspian turned her around and lowered his head to hers, taking possession of her tempting mouth. Mirage leaned into his and wound her arms around his neck, giving herself up to his ministrations.

A throat clearing had her looking towards the room, where Rachelle was grinning wickedly at them. "We have to get moving if we want to avoid the Rogues. Rikki went to find your brother and tell him what's going on. I would recommend packing if I were you." Rachelle told them as she ducked out. Mirage broke away from Caspian to walk to her closet.

"You should go and grab your things." Mirage stated as she pulled out a bag and began neatly folding dresses to put in them. Caspian came up and kissed her bare shoulder before leaving. Mirage shivered as desire raced through her and she continued packing, putting some of her new dresses in. She then went to her dresser and opened the drawers carefully, revealing numerous weapons. She grabbed her new sword from Kieran and two daggers, which went in her bag. She slipped on a pair of black boots that went up to her knee and put a brown pair of travelling boots in her bag, making sure they were wrapped to avoid getting her dresses dirty. She then went and found two pairs of leggings, brown and black, to put under some of her travelling dresses.

She had just emerged from her closet when Kieran came storming in with Rikki following close behind. Caspian was relaxing on her couch while Rashid and Rachelle sat at the table playing a strange game with light. "Where are you going?" Kieran demanded as he walked to Mirage. She tilted her head to the side.

"You mean, where are _we_ going?" She asked.

"Whatever. What's going on?" He ordered.

Rikki sighed in frustration. "I _already_ told you."

"We're going to Hidden Temple. It's the safest place, and since you're the one who found it, and as you're my successor, you're coming with." Mirage replied calmly. Kieran glared towards her.

"What do you think our father is going to say about this?" He asked.

"What am I going to say about what?" Lucien asked as he walked in.

Mirage and Kieran both turned around. "We're leaving. Some business came up and I'm taking Kieran with me." Mirage replied.

"What business, and is it dangerous?" Lucien responded as he raised an eyebrow.

"It might be. I'm meeting with the Day Hunters to discuss a treaty and what to do about the Moon Warriors situation." Mirage answered.

Lucien nodded. "What can I do to help?" Mirage glanced towards the three Hunters and then back towards her father.

"We'll need food and supplies for Elendia." Mirage replied. Her father nodded as he turned and left.

"We should get down to our boat. We can have your father meet us down there." Rikki said as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

Mirage nodded. "I'll wait for him and get the supplies. I'll go down with Elendia and bring them to you. I don't want Lucien to know where my beach is." She replied as she reached down to sling her bag over her shoulder. Caspian grabbed it from her and slung it over his other shoulder.

"I'll take it. You go there with Kieran and we'll wait for you." He said as he winked at her. Mirage caught Kieran frowning at her and she frowned back at him as she walked from the room. A couple seconds later she wished that she had looked before she walked out because she ran straight into Cyril. He grabbed her arm tightly and covered her mouth with his hand. She tried to scream as he dragged her away but his hand prevented any sound from escaping.

He dragged her away from her room and towards his. She tried to fight against him but wasn't able too. She attempted to bite his hand but he just dug his fingers into her waist. He threw her into the room and shut the door after him, locking it. Mirage turned and watched him as he walked towards her.

"You bitch; you think you can escape me? You shouldn't have turned me down." Cyril said as he shoved her up against a wall.

"Let. Me. Go." Mirage snarled at him as she tried to fight. Cyril grabbed her wrists and pressed her against the wall. He put his body flush against hers and she could feel his length pressing against her stomach.

"You can't do anything to stop me. No one can hear you." Cyril laughed. He then threw her on the bed and put himself on top of her. Mirage tried to shock him but he just held her tighter as he took his pants off and pulled Mirage's dress up. Mirage screamed as he thrust into her.

Caspian turned as they walked past a hallway and he heard a scream. He listened again and heard the person scream. Rikki and Rachelle stopped beside him. Rikki tilted her head to the side. "Do you hear that too?" Rikki asked.

Caspian nodded. "It sounds like someone's in extreme pain." He agreed.

"Caspian!" The voice suddenly screamed. "Help me!" Caspian dropped the bags and drew his sword as he followed Mirage's voice. He stopped at the door where he could hear sobbing and tried to push the door open. Rikki and Rachelle were a step behind him.

"Mirage is in there." Caspian said as he threw his shoulder against the door.

Rikki snarled as she added her strength. "It won't open. It's like he was able to somehow block it with magick." Rikki hissed.

"Stand back." Caspian ordered as he stood back. Rikki quickly complied as did Rachelle. Caspian kicked out with his leg and heard the sound of the wooden door breaking. Rikki and Rachelle pushed their shoulders against the door and it finally gave. Both girls ran in and Caspian was a second behind them. He saw red when he saw Cyril on top of Mirage in the bed and the tears running down Mirage's face. Rikki and Rachelle both were running towards Cyril to try and pull him off. Caspian walked forward and yanked Cyril off of Mirage. Rikki and Rachelle both leapt on Cyril and dragged him out of the room.

"Take care of Mirage." Rachelle said as they left the room. Caspian turned back to Mirage and saw her curled up on her side in a ball and her arms were around her stomach as she cried. Red run down the side of her legs.

Caspian walked over to her and gathered her into his arms. Mirage cried out in pain and Caspian lifted her more gently. "Wrap your arms around me honey. I'll keep you safe." Caspian whispered to her. She obliged and threaded her arms around his neck. He walked out of the room and saw Kieran as he came running towards them.

"What the hell happened?" Kieran demanded.

Mirage stirred in his arms. "Nothing, let's just get to Elendia and I'll ride her to the boat." She said. Kieran looked at Caspian over Mirage's head and Caspian nodded to say they would talk later. Caspian cradled Mirage to his chest as they walked out to the stairs. Elendia was waiting at the base of the stairs with a very pissed off Rashid.

"I'm going to kill the bastard!" She snarled as she looked at Mirage. Mirage stirred in his arms again and he looked down to see the slight smile on her face.

"After I get the chance to torture him for a couple days." Mirage said in a low voice. Rashid smiled briefly. Caspian had to give a slight smile as he reached the bottom of the stairs and Elendia kneeled down so Mirage could get on. Elendia straightened and Caspian got on behind Mirage so he could hold her up. She leaned her weight back on him and leaned her head against his shoulder. Caspian wrapped his arm around her waist and held her tightly to him. She put her hand over his which warmed his heart.

They rode for a while until they reached the outer wall of the main city. They passed by with relatively ease until they got to the forest. Elendia must have gotten spooked because she would dance around and shy away from any trees. Mirage tried to calm her down but Elendia kept tossing her head and snorting. Mirage knew that Elendia was nervous about something, but she couldn't figure out what.

"Elendia! What's wrong?" Mirage asked as she ran her hand over Elendia's neck. Elendia suddenly broke into a gallop and raced past a very surprised Rachelle and Rikki. Rashid shouted after them and Kieran cursed loudly. Caspian gripped Mirage tighter and she grabbed Elendia's hair to try and direct her. Elendia shook her head and tried to buck them off. Mirage gasped and she felt Caspian grip her harder. Mirage finally understood it. Cyril had poisoned Elendia. "Oh Goddess, we have to get off! Jump!" Mirage shouted.

"What?" Caspian yelled back.

"Cyril poisoned Elendia; she's going to end up killing us!" Mirage replied. She felt Caspian nod and she felt him grab her as he jumped off the side. Mirage rolled with the fall and glanced over to see Caspian running towards her.

"Are you okay Mirage?" Caspian asked as he rolled her over. He froze at the blood that dripped from the side of her mouth.

She looked up at him with confusion in her eyes. "I'm fine, why?" She asked him.

He frowned down at her as he picked her up and cradled her to his chest. "You're bleeding." He replied. She immediately started wiping at her hairline, he guessed she thought she'd hit her head as she fell. Caspian gently brushed the blood away from the corner of her mouth and then turned. Elendia was standing with her legs planted on the ground, her enormous sides heaving.

"Mirage!" The trio of Day Hunters, along with Kiernan, yelled as they came running.

"Bring me to Elendia." Mirage whispered to him. He looked down into her fiery blue eyes and nodded. He felt her sigh in his arms and he smiled down at her before pressing a kiss to her forehead. Once they reached Elendia Caspian allowed Mirage's feet to touch the ground, although he made sure that he had a good grip on her. Mirage reached out a delicate hand to Elendia's head. She lightly stroked Elendia and then moved closer, hugging the horses head. A pale ice blue light surrounded the two of them and Caspian watched as the tendrils of light caressed his body. Warmth spread through his body and he watched Mirage in astonishment as Elendia slowly stopped breathing as hard and started to seem less panicked. The three Day Hunters joined in and golden-red tendrils joined Mirage's.

"We're fine." Mirage said a couple minutes later once the light had faded. She turned to them with a smile. Rashid stepped forward and touched Mirage's lower abdomen, making her grimace in pain. Caspian stepped forward but Rikki and Rachelle held him back. A brilliant red and gold light surrounded the two, making their forms disappear. Caspian felt panic rise and he glared at the two petite women beside him using their power to hold him back. They both had the gall to smile at him.

"Rashid won't hurt her. She's trying to heal what Cyril did to Mirage." Rachelle said softly. A couple of minutes later the light faded and Mirage came back into view. She smiled brightly at Rashid and lightly touched the woman's arm in gratitude.

"Shall we get down to the boat? Whatever you did to Cyril isn't going to last for long. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be anywhere near here when he's able to move again." Mirage laughed as she walked to Elendia and mounted her. They all nodded and resumed their walk. Mirage was on high alert as they rode and listened to Kieran rant about what happened.

She smiled over at Caspian, who was prowling the forestry for any dangers that could hurt her. He smiled back at her and she couldn't help but see the love in his eyes. Elendia snorted every once in a while and had tried to apologize as much as she could by turning her head to nibble on Mirage's legs. She also did a small dance on her hooves to show Mirage how sorry she was. Mirage leaned down and patted her horse's neck. "It's fine Elendia; it's not your fault." She spoke softly into the ear flicked back towards her. Elendia bobbed her head and shook it. Mirage couldn't help but laugh.

"Someone's coming." Kiernan suddenly snapped. In an instance, the easy nature was gone and everyone had surrounded Mirage. She unsheathed her sword and looked around. The three Day Hunters had red and gold electrical currents running over their hands.

Mirage closed her eyes and sent a brief burst of power out. She opened her eyes and laughed. The others looked at her in confusion. "Caspian, apparently Galen and your lieutenant take exception to you taking off without them. I believe the words they're using are rather strong and harsh." She filled the others in. Galen and the lieutenant rode through the trees a second later as if the devil was after them.

"My lord! Where in the heavens do you think you're going?" Galen demanded once they spotted Caspian, who had the grace to look sheepish.

"We had an urgent matter that had to be taken care of immediately." Caspian replied. Galen's eyes rose to Mirage and she looked back at him. She grinned at him.

"Well your abrupt departure has the whole castle in uproar. Princess Mirage and Prince Kiernan, your father nearly ordered the Royal Force out to find you. Cyril is snarling around the castle yelling something about you being a whore and that you deserve to suffer, Princess Mirage Trinity." Galen informed them drily, his lips lifted when he spoke about Cyril. Mirage started at the formal use of her name, along with the title. She was so unused to hearing it that she almost didn't answer.

She adopted an air of mock superiority as she looked down at Galen. "Well, my kind sir, thank you for the information. I should return at once to ease poor Cyril's pain, shouldn't I?" She said with an attempt at formal dignity.

Rashid caught on quickly. "My Lady, whatever you want. We should rush back to Cyril's side and put him out of his misery." She smiled.

Mirage dropped the demeanour as she started laughing uncontrollably. Rikki and Rachelle joined in the teasing. "I didn't say kill him!" Mirage laughed as she clutched at the stitch in her side.

"No," Rachelle started, "just maim and potentially disfigure something he values highly." She finished with a mischievous smile.

Galen looked at Caspian in confusion. "What are they going on about?" He asked.

Caspian smiled indulgently at Mirage as she continued to laugh with the three Hunters. "They're just joking with each other. I think we have a lot to learn about their humour. Lieutenant, head back to the castle. Tell the General that he is in charge until I return." Caspian ordered. The man snapped a salute and rode off.

"We should get going; it's going to rain soon." Mirage said as the laughter died down. Everyone turned to see her watching the sky closely.


End file.
